


The Search for the Supreme Scent

by mdelpin, Oryu404



Series: Fairy Tail Game AU [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Big Brother Dragon Slayers, Collaboration, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, Fairy Tail Game, Fairy Tail Reverse Bang 2020, Friendship, Gay Panic, Humor, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Missions, Misunderstandings, Pining, Post-Avatar Arc (Fairy Tail), Protective Idiots, Teamwork, dense idiots, instincts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:21:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26533555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdelpin/pseuds/mdelpin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oryu404/pseuds/Oryu404
Summary: Natsu has decided he’s lived with his feelings for Gray long enough. It was one thing when he thought that Gray and Juvia were together, but now that he knows differently, he refuses to wake up one morning only to find that it's too late.When Erza forces the two of them to do a job, he discovers it's just the opportunity he needs.
Relationships: Cana Alberona & Gray Fullbuster, Natsu Dragneel & Sting Eucliffe, Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster, Rogue Cheney & Sting Eucliffe
Series: Fairy Tail Game AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1900090
Comments: 16
Kudos: 110
Collections: Fairy Tail LGBTales, Fairy Tail Reverse Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xMissFortune](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xMissFortune/gifts).



> Want to talk with us about Fairy Tail, other animes, writing, or our stories? Click on the link to join our discord [The Unholy Trinity](https://discord.gg/ttnjN9e9kE)!
> 
> This is our entry for the Fairy Tail Reverse Bang, which was a really fun event hosted by [@ftguildevents](https://ftguildevents.tumblr.com).
> 
> We were lucky enough to be paired with [@x-thekid](https://x-thekid.tumblr.com) who is the wonderful artist behind this fanart. You can see her post [here](https://x-thekid.tumblr.com/post/628896883772948480/big-bang-submission-number-two-hosted). Please take a moment to let her know how much you liked her art!
> 
> We had a lot of fun working on this story and we hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> This art is actually one of the things that inspired us to create this AU, although you don't need to read Fish Slayer to know what's going on. You might enjoy it though!
> 
> A few notes: 
> 
> \- This story touches upon three in-game quests - Isosceles or Love Triangle (Juvia Character Story), Monster Outbreak from the Very Difficult Requests Set DLC, and The Search for the Supreme Scent (Ichiya Character Story).
> 
> \- This AU has elements of Fairy Tail canon, game canon, as well as game elements we have attempted to incorporate into the story. An example of this is duels, which is an in-game mechanism and not at all as dramatic as Gray might make them sound. ;)
> 
> \- In the game all the playable characters are always at Fairy Tail, this includes Jellal, Ichiya, Kagura, Sting, Rogue, Lyon and Chelia.

Natsu entered the newly restored Fairy Tail Guild in his usual manner, kicking the door open and announcing his presence. 

“I’m back!” 

Only a few people looked up from what they were doing, accustomed as they were to his loud entrances. 

“Morning Natsu,” Lucy greeted from her spot at their team table. 

“Oh, hey Lucy,” Natsu walked over to the table, plopping down across from her while Happy went off searching for the other Exceeds. 

“Are you taking a job with the slayers today, or are we going on a team job?” Lucy asked, and from the look on her face, he could tell which answer she was hoping for. 

“No rent money again?” he asked with a knowing smile. 

“I’ve been going on a few requests with Levy and the others, but the jobs they take don’t tend to pay as much,” she explained quickly. “Although,” she teased, “there’s definitely a lot less destruction.” 

Natsu chuckled. He certainly couldn’t say the same of the jobs he’d been going on. He was bad enough on his own, but adding Sting and Gajeel to the equation, it soon grew beyond anything he could have imagined. 

“Sorry, Sting and Rogue should be here any minute.” 

“Oh well, I’m sure I’ll figure something out,” Lucy began, but her voice was drowned out somewhat unexpectedly. 

“For the last time. NO,” Gray’s yells cut through all conversations, and everyone turned to see what was happening. “I don’t want to go on another job with you!” 

Gray stood by the request board, holding a flyer in his hand. His mouth was set in a hard line, but his fingers moved ever closer to the hem of his shirt, which Natsu knew meant he was anxious. Juvia stood next to him, leaving barely any space between them, as she usually did. Her eyes filled with tears at Gray’s tone, her gaze imploring him to change his mind, but it seemed for once the ice mage was determined not to back down. 

Natsu heard the murmurs start, and given the things that were being said, he hoped Gray wasn’t able to. 

“But Gray-sama, we make a perfect team,” Juvia pleaded, still determined to get her way, “Our magics are compatible, and Juvia can protect you better than anyone.” 

“I don’t need protecting,” Gray scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. “What I _need_ is a partner who can keep their head on the job, and not on me.” 

“Juvia can do that!” Juvia exclaimed, utterly oblivious to the rebuke. Her tears disappeared, and in her excitement, she grabbed on to Gray’s arm. 

Gray shook himself free from her grasp and took a step back. “I said, NO,” he repeated firmly. 

The guild’s murmurs only grew louder and more disapproving of Gray as Juvia once again began to cry, running off towards one of the rear exits that led to the pool. Many heads turned to follow her, some even sparing sympathetic looks, but no one offered to check on her, and after a few awkward seconds, Gajeel sighed and stepped up to the task.  
  
Natsu couldn’t help but feel bad for his rival, although his mind was swimming from what he’d just seen. Gray, however, seemed to have had enough. One second he was there, the next he was gone, and all that could be heard was the sound of the heavy guild doors slamming shut. 

Natsu was as shocked as everyone else. Gray had always had a temper. He knew that better than anyone, but it was unlike him to lash out at any of the girls. 

“What was that about?” he asked Lucy, who, like Mira, usually knew just about everything that went on in the guild. 

Lucy peered at the guild doors thoughtfully and shrugged, “I guess she finally pushed too hard.” 

“I thought he liked going on jobs with her,” Natsu commented, his brows furrowing in confusion when Lucy began to laugh. 

“You really have been gone a lot, haven’t you?” 

“What do you mean?” he frowned, not liking that there was something about Gray he didn’t know. 

“All I know is last week he practically begged me to go on a job with the two of them,” Lucy confided, “I thought Juvia was going to find a way to stab me with her eyes. It was so awkward.” 

She glanced around the guild to make sure no one was paying any attention to them before revealing, “He looked miserable too. And the sad thing was when I asked him why he wanted me there,” Lucy paused, looking pained by her next words, “He said he didn’t feel like his body was safe around her.”[1]

Natsu tried to come up with some sort of retort but found he couldn’t focus on anything but the maelstrom of emotions brewing inside him at hearing those words. On the one hand, he was cautiously hopeful that maybe Gajeel had been right when he’d told him he was reading too much into Gray’s relationship with Juvia. But that was short-lived. It was soon replaced by an increasing fury at the idea of Gray feeling that way about someone in their guild- the one place where they should all feel safe.  
  
“Aren’t Cana’s drinks great?” Erza commented as she joined them at the table, holding a mug full of some strawberry smelling concoction, and saving Natsu from having to come up with a reply. 

“They sure are,” Lucy agreed, seeming just as relieved to change the subject. “Just the thing before going on a job.”[2]

His two friends continued talking about some of the other upgrades they had added to the guild while Natsu struggled to control himself. He could understand being angry on Gray’s behalf, but this rage flowing through him seemed excessive, and it disturbed him. 

Gray had always been able to take care of himself. He didn’t need protection from anyone, least of all him. Natsu tried to take part in the conversation around him when Juvia happened to walk past him. The hair on the back of his neck rose, and to his great shock, he found himself growling at her, his fists balled and ready to attack. Juvia gaped at him before hurrying away from their table. 

Lucy glanced at him curiously while Erza’s eyes narrowed at the display. Natsu could already tell he was in for it, and he wasn’t disappointed when he felt the sharp sting of her fist connecting with his head. 

“For goodness sake, pull yourself together, Natsu! Is that what you slayers do on these jobs, act like wild animals?” 

“Of course not!” he complained, rubbing his head, even as he tried to figure out what the hell had just happened. 

“Did we miss something?” Sting Eucliffe asked as he promptly shoved Natsu further into the booth to make room for him and Rogue. “We saw Gray as we came in. He looks pissed.” 

Natsu shrugged in reply, not wanting to get into what had happened. 

“Are Gajeel and Wendy here yet?” Rogue asked, looking around the guild for the other slayers. 

Natsu could tell the moment Gray reentered the guild, not just by the surge of his familiar scent but also by the whispers. When the ice mage took his seat at their table, Natsu made sure to look down at the tabletop so that Gray wouldn’t be able to see his face, just in case it betrayed his feelings. 

Natsu could feel the guild’s temperature drop a few degrees as soon as Gray noticed Sting and Rogue. “Great, you two are here again.” 

“Gray!” Erza scolded, “Is that any way to talk to our friends?” 

Gray covered his eyes with his hand in what Natsu recognized as a futile attempt to control himself. A few moments later, he fixed his gaze on Natsu and scoffed, “So I’m guessing you’re going off with them again today?” 

Natsu nodded, not trusting his words not to anger Gray further when he was so clearly holding on by a tenuous thread. 

“When you talked to us about this, you said this shit was only going to be once a week,” Gray reminded him. 

“I haven’t been gone that often,” Natsu protested, even though he knew it was certainly more than they had initially planned. “I don’t hear anyone else complaining.” 

“Oh, believe me, we’ve all done plenty of complaining. You just haven’t been around to hear it. Lucy can’t make her rent from the jobs she can manage on her own.” 

“If you’re so worried about Lucy, why don’t _you_ go on a job with her?” Natsu challenged. 

“Hey!” Lucy snapped, “Leave me out of this.” 

“That’s not the point, and you know it,” Gray pinched the bridge of his nose, “Ugh, you’re giving me a headache.” 

“What’s the matter, Princess?” Natsu goaded, “You miss me?” 

“Don’t put words in my mouth, Flame Brain. You’re neglecting your friends- _our team_ \- to go off to play with the other dragon slayers.”  
  
To make matters worse, Sting decided to butt into the conversation. “Nah, we’re not playing! We’re, uh...pushing each other to get stronger!” he grinned, casually resting his elbow on Natsu’s shoulder. “You know, similar magic and all that.” 

“Oh God,” Rogue hid his face behind his hand, looking ready to slide underneath the table. 

“Did you just say I’m weak?” Gray spat furiously. 

“Huh? Where did you get that from?” 

“Just shut up, you’re only making things worse,” Natsu scolded his friend. 

“Natsu! You can’t talk to Sabertooth’s Guild Master like that!” Erza berated, horrified by his words. 

“What?! He doesn’t care!” 

“That’s it!” Gray pounded his fist on the table, “I challenge you to a duel!” 

If looks could kill, Sting would have dropped dead that very second. 

“Yes, that’s a great idea!” Lyon exclaimed, suddenly appearing next to Gray. “If Sting wins, Natsu and Wendy can go to Sabertooth. And if you win, they can stay in Fairy Tail!”  
  
“Not this crap again!” Gray scowled at his foster brother. “Where the hell did you even come from? And why are you people here all the time?!” he complained, raising his hands in disbelief at all the non-Fairy Tail mages lounging around. “Don’t you have your own guilds?” 

“I don’t see what your problem is, “ Lyon shrugged, “seems to me like it would fix everything.” 

“Oh, hell no, I do not agree to that,” Natsu chimed in, “I love you guys, but I am a Fairy Tail wizard.” 

“What the hell, Flame Brain, are you implying I’m going to lose to him?” Gray scoffed, looking offended, although Natsu thought he caught a glimpse of hurt in the ice mage’s expression for a moment. 

“What?! I didn’t say that!” Natsu objected, but Gray refused to look at him. 

“Who even said we wanted you?” Rogue pointed out, even though it was evident that Sting’s eyes were already lit up at the idea of a challenge. 

“ENOUGH!” Erza shrieked, and when they continued to bicker despite her outburst, she muttered, “I’m surrounded by complete idiots!” 

She watched them for another minute, looking from one wizard to the next. She grabbed Natsu and Gray by the collar, swiftly realizing they were the only two she could do anything about. Knocking their heads together, she managed to shut up Sting, Rogue, and Lyon, who could only stare at her in shock. 

“They’re all insane,” Rogue muttered under his breath, but thankfully Sting was the only one to hear him. 

“I’m sorry I’m late. Carla wanted to stop at the market and-,” Wendy stopped mid-sentence, marking the unnatural quiet at a table filled with people known for their loudness. She peered closer, noticing Natsu and Gray glaring at each other and sporting two large bumps on their heads. “Did I miss something?” 

She moved over to their side of the table, calling on her magic to heal them, although this didn’t seem to ease their hostility in the slightest. 

Thankfully the awkwardness was interrupted by Master Makarov making his way over to the stage. 

“Settle down brats, I have an announcement to make,” Makarov yelled from the stage, waiting for a few minutes until he was sure he had everyone’s attention. Peering at the faces that were now intent on him, he remarked cheerfully, “Oh good, I see many of our friends are here! This concerns you too.” 

“Do you know what this is about, Erza?” Lucy whispered, but Erza only shook her head. 

“We have been through a lot in the last couple of years. All of you have shown courage and skill far beyond your years, and I am incredibly proud of you.” Makarov beamed. 

“Now, about eight years ago, we were rudely interrupted in the middle of one of our time-honored traditions, and I, for one, think it’s time we finish what we started.” 

“S-Class Trials?” Natsu and Gray chorused eagerly. 

“Indeed!” Makarov confirmed with a wide grin, “When I informed the Council of my intentions, they asked that I open the testing up to the other guilds since we currently have the best setup for it. For that reason, the rules have changed a bit.” 

“There will be no nominations this time. As far as I’m concerned, you have all more than proven yourselves, so anyone who feels ready is welcome to participate. Teams can have up to five members and may include wizards from different guilds. You may ask one S-Class Wizard to be part of your team if you wish. Any team that completes every exam phase successfully will see all its members promoted to S-Class. The exam will once again take place on Tenrou Island." 

“That’s all I have for now. I will have more details on the test itself once I have spoken to the other Guild Masters,” Makarov peered down at Sting and Rogue with a smile. “Master Sting, am I right to assume you and Rogue will be participating?”  


"Of course we are!" Sting was almost glowing with excitement, and even Rogue gave an eager nod. 

“Alright then, we’ll figure out a way to keep you in the loop so you can pass the information along to the rest of your guild,” Makarov informed him, “We’ll talk about it later.” 

Sting nodded in agreement, and Makarov turned his attention back to the others, “ I want you all to think about whether you will take part in the exam or not. I firmly believe you’re all capable of this, but only you can decide if you’re up to it. I’ll need your response by the end of the week, along with a list of your team members.” 

With that, Makarov walked off the stage and made his way over to Cana’s bar, climbing onto a stool and ordering a drink. Everyone began to talk all at once, the guild’s noise rising to almost unbearable proportions for the dragon slayers. 

Natsu couldn’t contain his excitement any more than the others; he would finally become S-Class! Something he and Gray had dreamed of doing from the moment Erza had joined their ranks so many years ago. He looked towards where Gray had been sitting just a few minutes earlier, only to find the seat empty. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1This quote refers to a moment in the Juvia Character Story Isosceles or Love Triangle. It is game canon.  
> [return to text]  
> 
> 
> 2Kanna's Bar Counter is another game mechanism. Players can buy drinks to temporarily boost their stats.[return to text]  
> This story is already completed. We will post a chapter daily. We'd love to hear what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

_Worth Woodsea - a large forest region located in the north-eastern part of Fiore_

“A lost pet?” Sting whined as they walked out of the large house nestled within acres of farmland and forest. “That’s not even a challenge.” 

A month earlier, the first (and third) generation dragon slayers had agreed to form a team, hoping that by training together, they’d become strong enough to one day defeat Acnologia. That was the reason they’d been taking so many missions together lately, not really caring what they were, so that their friends wouldn't ask too many questions about what they were up to, which had led them here...searching for a lost pet of all things. 

“I’m sorry, Sting-san,” Wendy murmured, “I just couldn’t help myself.” 

“It was Wendy’s turn to pick,” Rogue reminded his partner, glaring at him to get him to stop complaining. “I think this will be a nice change of pace. Besides, it’s not like we’re not going to train after.” 

That seemed to cheer Sting up a little, although he still appeared grumpy. “Don’t worry about it, Wendy. You were right to pick that job; it’s very important, you know? _Some_ people get terribly upset when their pets go missing.” 

“Frosch is _not_ a pet!” 

“Why don’t you take the lead on this one, Wendy?” Natsu suggested, ignoring the Twin Dragons’ bickering. “You can think of it as part of your training.” 

“I don’t think I could do that,” Wendy said shyly, “You all have more experience than me.” 

“Of course you can,” Gajeel asserted, “You’re one of us, aren’t you?” 

Wendy nodded unsurely, peering down at the job request she was holding. She looked up to find four dragons slayers flashing her reassuring smiles. 

“Yes!” she responded, sounding more confident. 

Rogue squeezed her shoulder gently, “We’ll be right behind you if you need us.” 

Wendy set off at a quick pace, sniffing the air around the client’s house, trying to pick up the missing pet rabbit’s scent while the dragon slayers walked behind her. 

Once she was far enough ahead, Sting turned to Natsu and commented, “So that was an interesting reaction Gray had earlier.” 

Natsu visibly tensed at the words, “Not this again.” 

“Oh come on, he’s obviously pissed you’re not spending time with him,” Sting pointed out eagerly. 

“No, he’s pissed because I haven’t been on as many team jobs,” Natsu corrected. 

“Natsu,” Sting laughed at him, “he challenged me to a duel and everything.” 

“Because you pretty much said the stupidest thing you could have come up with,” Rogue facepalmed, “We’re pushing each other to get stronger? What the hell were you thinking?” 

“What’s wrong with that?” Sting asked, confused, “It’s kind of true, isn’t it? Besides, would it have been better if I’d told him the _real_ truth?” 

“It sure as hell would have pissed him off less,” Gajeel smirked. When Sting still seemed not to understand, he attempted to explain, “Salamander and the Ice Prick have spent years beating the crap out of each other to get stronger, you basically told him we were replacing him.” 

“And I was supposed to know this?” 

“You were supposed to keep your mouth shut,” Rogue rolled his eyes, immediately teasing, “It’s okay. I know it’s hard for you.” 

“It _is_ hard,” Sting acknowledged, sighing like he was the victim, but he soon perked up as he addressed his friend. “Still, I think there was more to it than that.” 

“You just see what you want to see,” Natsu pointed out, dismissing his friend’s remark. 

"He doesn’t-" Rogue shook his head, “anything remotely subtle flies right over his head.” 

“Surely even you can’t still believe he’s into Juvia after this morning’s outburst,” Gajeel frowned in consternation. 

“I-,” For once, the Fire Dragon Slayer was at a loss for words, “I don’t know,” he finished weakly. 

Rogue crossed his arms and frowned, “Why are you so determined to give up before you even try? He's important to you, right?” 

“Of course he is!” Natsu exclaimed, “It’s not that I’m giving up. I just have no idea where to even begin.” 

“Just talk to him,” Rogue advised, “tell him how you feel.” 

Gajeel snickered, “Those two blockheads don’t do the talking thing unless it includes their fists.” 

“Perhaps you should just come up with some grand gesture- something he can’t possibly ignore.” Sting thought for a few moments before snapping his fingers excitedly. “Oh! Remember how you wrote Fairy Tail in fire at the castle in Crocus? How about you do something like that, but like at Kardia Cathedral. He’s sure to notice that!” 

“Sting, no!” Rogue scolded, “If you’re going to give him stupid ideas, at least come up with one that doesn’t include destroying a monument or getting both of them arrested.” 

“Besides,” Gajeel chimed in, “the Icicle is too much of a priss to like something like that. If you want my opinion, you should do something more personal. Write him a song or something.” 

“You want me to write him a song?” Natsu gaped at his friend, “What makes you think I have any idea how to do something like that?” 

“You confess your love through songs? Man, I pity whoever you end up falling for,” Sting laughed, having heard Gajeel sing a few times during their jobs. 

“Shut up, Glowstick,” Gajeel growled, “Like you’d do any better, you wouldn’t know love if it was standing right in front of you.” 

"Anyway," Rogue coughed, "I think it's safe to say that none of us have any decent advice to give you, and the truth is, it doesn't matter. Just do something before you end up regretting the fact that you haven’t." 

“What are you guys talking about?” Wendy’s voice made them all jump, unexpected as it was. 

“Oh, Wendy,” Natsu laughed nervously, “finished already? 

“Yeah, the rabbit was hiding in that bush over there,” Wendy pointed to a row of bushes at the far end of the property before holding the rabbit up for them to see, “Isn’t it cute?” 

Rogue reached out to pet the rabbit. “That didn’t take you long at all,” he praised the younger girl proudly. 

Wendy seemed embarrassed by the praise and quickly changed the subject, “ So what _were_ you talking about just now?” 

“Oh, we were just giving Natsu some ideas about how to confess his love for Gray!” Sting was happy to fill her in. 

“Oh!” Wendy bounced excitedly, rabbit dangling precariously from her hand. “How about flowers? Everyone loves getting those.” 

“I don’t know, Wendy,” Natsu hedged, not wanting to sound ungrateful, “Boys don’t like stuff like that.” 

“That’s not true, Gray likes pretty things,” Wendy reminded him. 

“You mean like Natsu?” Sting teased, getting a kick out of embarrassing his friend. 

With a face that matched his hair color, Natsu shoved Sting out of the way, getting more annoyed the louder he laughed, which only encouraged Sting more. Rogue pressed his lips together, turning around and heading back to their client’s house.  
  
“Come on, Wendy, you should return the rabbit to its owner and collect your reward,” he flashed her a weak smile over his shoulder. 

Gajeel watched Rogue walk away with Wendy and immediately grabbed Sting and Natsu and knocked their heads together. 

“Ow!” Sting complained, “What did I do?” 

“Could everyone stop hitting me on the head?” Natsu complained, “What was that for, anyway?” 

“You’re both idiots!” Gajeel snapped but explained no further, leaving the two other dragon slayers to stare at each other in confusion and ultimately shrug. It wasn’t like they hadn’t heard that before from plenty of others. 

Once Wendy and Rogue returned, it was time to get started on their training. They made their way further into the forest, which they knew was teeming with a type of monster they had come to call Satan due to its demonic appearance. 

And despite knowing that he should be focusing on honing his tracking skills, Natsu couldn’t help but think of Rogue’s words and wonder if he were right. He didn’t want to have any more regrets.  
  
0-0  
  
The job Gray had picked for that day had been a simple one: cooling 8-Island's stock while they replaced their freezers. It wasn’t anything like the jobs he usually took, but It had been a very long day, starting with Juvia’s incessant attempts to get him to go on yet another job with her. He hadn’t been in the mood to take on a partnered job after that, so he’d settled for a quick and easy one that would at least get him out of the guild. Something to help distract him from his frustrations.  
  
When he’d finished and returned to the guild to report, it was relatively quiet, so he’d sat down at the bar, thinking he could really use a drink, and Cana was always good company.  
  
“Extra ice, just for you,” Cana winked as she handed him his order. “You alright? You look grumpier than usual.” 

“I’m just thinking about what Gramps said earlier.” 

“Everyone was pretty excited, you thinking of doing it?” Cana smirked, already knowing the answer. 

“Are you?” 

“I don’t know. It used to be really important to me. I thought I had to get at least that far to tell Gildarts he was my dad, but now that he knows, I’m not sure if it’s what I want anymore.” 

“What about if he was your partner?” Gray suggested with a smile, knowing how much Cana enjoyed spending time with her dad, and with him on her team, she was sure to pass. 

Cana’s eyes widened, “I hadn’t considered that. What about you? Who’s on your list? Are you going to partner up with Loke again?” 

Gray shook his head, “I wouldn’t want to take him away from Lucy. He’s one of her strongest spirits. Besides, if we don’t have to compete against each other, then there’s someone else I’m considering.” 

“Oh?” Cana’s eyes were full of curiosity. 

“Nevermind, it’s stupid.” 

Cana studied him intently, curling a strand of hair around her finger as she thought about who he might mean. Her mouth curved into a warm smile as she told him, “I don’t know, I think it’s fitting.” 

“I doubt he’ll agree to do it.” 

“When has that ever stopped you?” she teased, stepping away for a moment to take a drink order. 

Gray chuckled, knowing she was right. Still, that was then; everything felt different now. These days it seemed like the friendship he’d taken for granted for most of his life was getting further and further away, which was one reason he wanted to try to do something before it could slip through his fingers. 

He was saved from that gloomy thought by the sound of the guild doors opening as the dragon slayers returned from their mission. Gajeel and Wendy supported an almost breathless Natsu between them. 

Although he seemed to be in the worst shape, Gajeel and Wendy also looked beat up. The Sky Dragon Slayer kept apologizing to Natsu, who only smiled and told her she should get some rest. 

Happy, Carla and Pantherlily rushed over to their dragon slayers, their panicked voices making it so that Gray couldn’t distinguish anything they said. 

“What happened to you guys?” Cana asked with concern, saving Gray from having to ask. Instead, he examined Natsu’s body to get an idea of what had happened. There were deep gashes on his chest and stomach that made it seem like a wild animal had attacked him, and Gray could see the beginning of bruising around his ribs. 

“Natsu, Natsu!” Happy cried out, his eyes widening in fear as he took in his partner’s injuries. 

"It’s nothing,” Natsu’s words came out in short pants as he tried to soothe Happy, and dismiss Cana’s concern. 

“Nothing, my ass!” Gray winced in sympathy, now convinced that Natsu had at least one broken rib. He peered at the youngest dragon slayer, confused as to why Natsu would still be in such a state if she had been there with him. “Did you already heal him, Wendy?” 

Wendy’s eyes filled with tears, and Gray could have kicked himself for asking such a stupid question. Of course she’d healed him, but then how bad had this been? What the hell had happened? 

“Can’t you see she’s upset?” Carla huffed, giving Gray one of her angriest glares for his question. 

“He wasn’t the worst off,” Gajeel explained gruffly, leaving the two slayers at the bar as he and Pantherlily went off in search of Mira, talking in hushed voices. 

“I’m seriously fine,” Natsu assured them, although he didn’t look it. He smiled at Wendy once again, “My regeneration will kick in soon.” 

Gajeel and Pantherlily soon returned with Erza and Mira, who immediately fussed over Natsu, much to his irritation. 

“Gray, could you bring him to the infirmary?” Mira asked sweetly, but there was no mistaking the fact that it was a command. 

He wanted to fight it on principle. After all, it’s what he would have always done, but he held back, reasoning that this way, he might be able to find out what happened as he doubted Erza would be satisfied without an explanation. Gajeel’s words worried him. What had he meant Natsu hadn’t been the worst off? 

“Happy, maybe you should stay down here,” Cana suggested, “you won’t be able to help up there.” 

“But-,” Happy protested, his little face scrunched up in outrage. 

“She’s right, Buddy,” Natsu interrupted, “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Maybe Cana can make you a drink?” 

“Sure,” Cana agreed, giving Happy a conspiratorial wink, “ I think I heard Elfman say they bought some fish earlier. Maybe we can go liberate one?” 

Happy seemed unsure, but when Natsu smiled at him, he flew up to the bar counter and sat down looking dejected. “Okay, I’ll wait for you right here.” 

“Make sure you don’t drop me, Droopy Eyes, ” Natsu taunted, and Gray couldn’t believe that the moron would attempt to pick a fight with him even in this state. But he had to admit it calmed him down a bit. 

He picked Natsu up carefully, being mindful of his ribs as he held him against his chest, but even so, he felt the dragon slayer flinch in his arms. Leading the way to the infirmary with Mira and Erza following close behind, Gray couldn’t voice any of the words he wanted to say. It was the closest they had been to each other in a long time, and it felt surprisingly good. He knew that any words that came out of his mouth would only ruin it. 

Once they’d reached the infirmary, Gray gently placed Natsu on one of the beds while Mira started collecting the stuff she’d need. 

“What happened?” Erza asked, her eyes trailing Natsu’s injuries as Mira removed his vest carefully. “Why is Wendy so upset?” 

Natsu’s eyes remained on Gray even as Erza continued to ask her questions, her voice growing more shrill as she received no response. 

“Gray, why don’t you go see if you can get anything out of Wendy?” 

He wanted to protest, but the truth was Natsu’s almost empty stare was freaking him out. Maybe Erza was right, maybe Wendy would be able to give him a better idea of what was going on. 

He nodded and spared one last look at his friend before leaving in search of Wendy, but when he came downstairs and scanned the guildhall, she was nowhere to be found. 

"Where’s Wendy?” he asked Cana, going back to where he’d been sitting earlier. 

“She just left. Gajeel and Lily walked her and Carla home,” Cana informed him, “I’m kind of worried about her, she seemed really upset. Did Natsu say anything to you?” 

“Nope.” Both wizards shared a worried look. Natsu had always loved to brag about his jobs to anyone who would listen. “You think maybe we should have Gramps call Sabertooth?” 

“Why? You worried about your little rival?” Cana teased, but when Gray didn’t respond to the taunt, she changed her tone. “Whatever happened, I’m sure they’ll tell us when they’re ready.” 

Gray hoped she was right, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong. The look he'd seen in Natsu’s eyes still haunted him. The only other time he'd seen it was after Tartaros. 

After Igneel had died. 

The infirmary door opened, and Mira came out, the annoyed expression on her face giving testament to how things were going inside. The sound of Erza and Natsu arguing reverberated around the guildhall. 

Mira walked over to them and, with an exasperated sigh, reported, “He refused to say anything until Erza demanded he stay in the infirmary overnight. He’s determined to go home.” 

“I can take him,” Gray offered, but before he had a chance to even get up from his stool Happy had already flown past him and up the stairs. He returned a few minutes later, carrying a smug looking Natsu and leaving an infuriated Erza behind. 

Erza joined them a few minutes later, looking as irritated as only Natsu could make people. Her eyes fell on Gray, and after gazing at him thoughtfully for a few moments, she finally spoke. 

“Gray, I’d like a word with you.” 


	3. Chapter 3

“Hold your goddamned horses. I’m coming!” Natsu growled at the door as he slowly made his way down the stairs. He could smell Gray outside, but it did nothing to alleviate how pissed off he was at being woken up at the asscrack of dawn. That and the fact that he could tell that whatever brought his friend to his house wasn’t urgent as he didn’t smell any different than usual. 

“What the hell do you want?!” Natsu snapped as he pulled the door open hard enough to shake the frame. 

“Get ready, we’re going on a job,” Gray entered the house without waiting for an invitation and sat down on his couch, arms crossed over his chest. 

“Come right in,” Natsu muttered in disbelief. He closed the door behind him and turned to face his rival. 

“You couldn’t wait until the sun came out, or I dunno, I got to the guild?” 

“No.” 

“Okay,” Natsu took a deep breath, recognizing when Gray was fucking with him and refusing to rise to the bait even though he was still exhausted from the previous day’s events. “Is this a team job?” 

“No, this is an _us_ job,” Gray rolled his eyes for emphasis, “as in, Erza demanded we do it together.” 

Natsu thought about this for a moment. That wasn’t so unusual, although it had been a while since Erza had felt the need to send them on one of her get along jobs. 

“Why are you both being so loud?” Happy asked, flying down from the second floor and landing on the couch, his eyes still puffy with sleep. 

“Sorry, buddy,” Natsu apologized, “It looks like we’re going on a job.” 

“But it’s so early,” Happy whined, “can’t we go later?” 

“It’s okay, Happy. You can stay home if you want,” Natsu assured him, “I’m sure the Ice Princess and I can handle whatever it is.” 

“Ugh, are you ever going to stop calling me that?” 

“Are you ever going to stop calling me Flame Brain?” 

“Point taken,” Gray grinned, lighting up his face in a most distracting manner. 

Natsu stared for what felt like a second too long before massaging the back of his neck. “I guess I should go get ready then.” 

He made his way back to his room, poking at his chest carefully to see how much his body had healed overnight. The claw wounds had mostly healed, but he could tell his ribs were still broken, although the pain was bearable. Even so, he hoped the job was nearby. Whether it was walking or a train ride, it was still going to put a strain on him. 

Natsu grabbed his one-sleeved coat from his closet, not wanting to show his bandages to Gray or anyone else who might try to use it to their advantage. His pants and underwear were a little more challenging to put on, but he managed. A quick trip to the bathroom and he was ready. 

To his surprise, Gray had prepared breakfast for all of them. 

“I see you’ve made yourself at home,” Natsu muttered, munching on the coffee, eggs, and toast his friend had set out for him. 

“I think the words you’re looking for are: thank you,” Gray deadpanned. 

Natsu ignored him, asking instead, “So, where are we going, and why so early?” 

Gray sighed in a way that let him know that whatever the job was, it was something Gray considered beneath them. “We have to go to Boundary Forest to find some strong-smelling flowers Ichiya needs for his parfum experiments.” 

Natsu groaned. He didn’t dislike Ichiya, although he did find him a bit strange. But surely there was no reason why they couldn’t have gone later. 

“Are you sure this isn’t some sort of ploy by Erza to get me to see the old hag?” Natsu asked, well aware that Porlyusica lived in Boundary Forest. “Cause I gotta tell you, she’s only gonna be more pissed off if we wake her up.” 

“Nah, I think she just doesn’t want to deal with Ichiya. You know how uncomfortable he makes her. ” 

“That he does,” Natsu chuckled in agreement, “But finding a flower shouldn’t take long, so why did you come here so early?" 

"To make sure you weren't running off with the other slayers again,” Gray replied, but Natsu felt like he wasn’t being entirely truthful. 

He suddenly remembered his friend’s outburst at the guild the previous morning and wondered if it was related to that. He could feel the outrage building again at the idea that Gray, who had grown up at Fairy Tail like most of them, no longer felt comfortable in his home. 

“If you’re done stuffing your face, we should get going,” Gray announced, sticking the dirty plates in the sink on top of the pile that already sat there and making no effort to clean them. 

Natsu rolled his eyes at the action but didn’t comment, and after making sure Happy didn’t want to come, they left, promising to go fishing later. 

0-0 

_Boundary Forest - an area of luscious woods and fields near the old Fairy Tail guild building._

The walk to Boundary Forest had been mostly silent, each seemingly caught up in their thoughts. It was a comfortable silence, which was unexpected as they hadn’t really had a chance to talk since Natsu had shown up at the Avatar headquarters looking for Gray a few months earlier. 

The sun had finally risen over the mountains as they reached the forest, bringing the sounds of the birds and other woodland creatures with it. It was a place they knew well, having not only played there as kids but also traveled through it on their way to other jobs. 

Natsu’s chest had begun to throb, making walking uncomfortable, so he decided to ask Gray for more information to keep his mind off it. 

"So, what's this flower supposed to look like?" Natsu asked as he sniffed the air around them. He smelled plenty of flowers- Boundary Forest was full of them- and as he tried to catch a trace of this supposedly unique flower Ichiya wanted, he was also on the lookout for the scent of nearby monsters. 

So far, they had only bumped into a few green flutterers, which were a type of medium-sized bird often seen near the trails. They could be aggressive, but once they’d had a taste of Natsu’s fire and Gray’s ice, they’d given them a wide berth.  
  
“Erza said they looked like daisies,” Gray answered, straying from the forest path they were walking on to inspect a patch of wildflowers a few feet away.  
  
Natsu frowned at him, having no idea what daisies looked like. He knew roses, cherry blossoms, and of course, magnolias, but that was where his flower knowledge ended. 

“Remember those flowers Laki used to pull the petals from when we were younger?”  
  
Responding to Natsu’s blank expression, Gray offered a half-assed description. “White petals. Round, yellow center. They’re pretty.” 

  
Natsu’s thoughts immediately went back to what Wendy had said the previous day.  


_Gray likes pretty things_. 

  
Did that mean he liked daisies? And by extension, whatever the flower they were looking for was called, too? Natsu looked around, eyeing all the different kinds of flowers he could spot, wondering if he should take Wendy’s advice and pick some to give to Gray once they were done with their job. 

What had happened at Worth Woodsea had served to reinforce that he didn’t want to have any more regrets. They were guild wizards who spent their lives fighting monsters or dark guilds to earn jewels, and while it was a fun way to live most of the time, it was also dangerous. 

He’d lived with these feelings long enough. It was one thing when he thought that Gray and Juvia were together, but now that he knew differently, he refused to wake up one morning only to find that it was too late. 

  
“The ones we’re looking for should have a-” Gray scrunched up his nose as he spoke the characteristic words of Ichiya, “wonderful parfum.” 

“If you say sniff sniff, I’ll deck you,” Natsu threatened playfully. 

“You mean you’ll try,” Gray retorted, looking annoyingly unconcerned, “Anyhow, you’re the bloodhound. They all smell pretty much the same to me.” 

Natsu couldn’t deny that was true, so he once again set about trying to find the mysterious flower. None of the wildflowers stood out, so they got back on the path, walking over the wooden bridge and edging ever closer to Porlyusica’s house. 

The smells were much more pungent there, no doubt due to the herbs the old woman grew for her remedies. Natsu wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Erza’s gonna owe me for this.” 

“I wouldn’t push my luck if I were you,” Gray advised, “She’s still plenty pissed at you.” 

Natsu caught the first traces of something different in the air, strong enough to overpower the herbs. He stopped, focusing only on that scent and trying to pinpoint its location. Once he was reasonably sure where it was coming from, he couldn’t help but groan. 

_Of course, it had to be right by Porlyusica’s house!_

“Did you find anything?” 

“I think so,” Now that he’d detected it, he couldn’t smell anything else. It was that strong. “Are you telling me you can’t smell that?” Natsu asked, amazed as always by how dull the human sense of smell was. 

Gray shook his head, “About the only thing I can smell is you.” 

Natsu tried not to let that idea take hold, knowing it didn’t have the same meaning for Gray as it did for him. He led the way, eager to find the flowers and be done. Maybe find a spot to sit for a little bit so they could get a chance to talk, and he could rest before the long walk back.  
  
“I think I know where they are. The smell is coming from over there-” Natsu pointed to a pair of large rocks in a small clearing. 

The flowers’ scent was so overwhelming now, Natsu almost felt dizzy by it. There was no doubt in his mind that these were the ones Ichiya had requested, so he wasted no more time in getting to them. He waded through the tall grass and the weeds, hearing Gray’s footsteps following close behind him when suddenly the ground below his feet began to rumble. The rocks started to move, and for a second, it appeared as if they were growing, but then Natsu realized what he’d thought were rocks were something else entirely. 

He stopped in his tracks, and Gray bumped into him, aggravating the pain in his chest. 

“What’s the big idea?” Gray complained, looking around Natsu to see the two massive red golems that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. “Oh.” 

All four of them stood unmoving, and for the first time in his life, Natsu- who was always looking for a fight- hoped the monsters would just walk away. He held his breath, willing Gray to remain where he was, but the ice mage was already moving into his molding stance, and a sense of dread consumed Natsu as images of the previous day’s events flitted through his mind. 

He saw the golems pump their fists in challenge and readied himself for a fight. 

_“Ice-Make: Shield!”_

Natsu was astounded to find an ice shield materializing in front of him seconds before Gray cast his attack. 

_“Ice-Make: Ice Geyser!”_

Natsu couldn’t see what was happening very well through the shield, but he heard the familiar sound of Gray’s ice colliding with the rocky surface of the golems’ bodies, and their angry roars in response to the attack. 

“Fuck,” Gray muttered, and Natsu felt the dread grow inside him. 

“What?” 

_“Ice-Make: Floor!”_

Natsu stretched out his hand, melting the shield just in time to see the spell hit the two golems who, outside of being pissed, seemed utterly unaffected by Gray’s ice. 

Any other day he would have been tempted to watch Gray figure out a solution as he mocked him for his lack of progress. But not today, not when Rogue’s cries were still so close. 

“Fuck,” Natsu agreed, calling on his magic even as his chest reminded him this wasn’t one of his better ideas. His fire coated both his fists, and he peered at the monsters carefully, searching for a weakness he could exploit. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Gray managed to get out before both golems lunged at them with incredible speed. 

Natsu heard Gray cast his Cold Excalibur but knew it would do nothing to protect him; it wasn’t that the golems were resistant to ice. It did not affect them whatsoever. 

And with that knowledge, he was suddenly thrust into a wild panic. Wendy wasn’t there. If something happened to Gray and he couldn’t get him to her in time, which was likely given his broken ribs, he could lose him forever. 

All rational thought left him, replaced by an all-encompassing rage he had no control over. Everything became simpler, and his senses sharpened even more than usual. There was only one thought coursing through his brain. 

_Protect_

Natsu could feel his skin changing, hardening into scales all over his arms and face. Both the amount and level of power available to him increased exponentially. He immediately recognized it as something he’d only managed a few times before, but this was only the second time he’d done so without external aid. 

He had entered Dragon Force. The only other time it had happened this way, Gray had also been in mortal danger. 

Natsu wasted no time casting his first spell - _“Crimson Lotus Exploding Lightning Blade!”_

The words rang in the air as he charged at the golems, launching attack after attack until they were reduced to nothing but rubble at his feet. As soon as the threat was eliminated, Natsu collapsed where he stood. The last thing he heard before his vision faded to black was Gray screaming out his name.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what the red megaton golems, the enemies they were fighting in this chapter, look like! We made this with the game's photo mode feature.  
> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter that deals with the actual artwork and it was a lot of fun to come up with a story behind those great expressions in @x-thekid's art!

  
The first thing Natsu registered when he came to was the heavy perfume of the flowers, immediately followed by a sharp pain in his chest as he inhaled it. He hissed, rolling over carefully so he could look around. He found himself in a green, grassy field, sheltered from the sun by the shade of a large tree, and surrounded by the very flowers they’d come to collect. 

Gray sat next to him, leaning against the tree trunk with his arms crossed over his chest. His shirt was nowhere to be found, as usual. 

“Wanna tell me what that was about?” he cocked his brow at Natsu. 

“What do you mean?” Natsu answered, his voice sounding a bit shaky, “I took them out, didn’t I?” 

He wasn’t sure what else to say. That whole thing had been unexpected. Just as it had the previous day with Juvia, he’d felt his control wavering, as if some deeper instinct had surged forward and taken over. 

“Yeah, but that was overboard even for you,” Gray pointed out, his eyes never leaving Natsu’s face, “You turned those golems into gravel. Was that Dragon Force? I didn’t think you could do that on command yet.” 

“I can’t. I saw you were in danger and-,” Natsu shrugged helplessly, embarrassed by his admission. 

“Did you forget Porlyusica lives nearby?” Gray reminded Natsu, making him feel idiotic for overreacting the way he had. 

Natsu looked away, not knowing how to respond. He didn’t understand what was happening to him, but one thing he felt sure of, it wouldn’t have made any difference. Even if he had consciously thought about the healer’s proximity, that rage he’d experienced wouldn’t have been satisfied by any other course of action. 

“I was trying to protect _you_ , you dimwit. You’re the one who's hurt,” Gray continued, pressing his lips in a slight frown. “Not that that’s ever stopped you from doing something stupid,” he added with an exasperated sigh. 

“Yeah, well, we managed to stumble onto the one creature that’s immune to ice, I had to do something.” 

“Since we’re here, we should have Porlyusica take a look at you,” Gray suggested, clasping his hands over his head as he took in Natsu’s strained breathing. “you’ve probably made your injuries worse.” 

“Hell no!” Natsu immediately protested, sitting up to show he was fine, even though he felt like throwing up just from that. Getting home was going to be a bitch. 

Gray’s eyes narrowed as he examined him, “You gotta give me more than that, Pyro. Why would you want to walk home like that when there’s a healer nearby?” 

“You mean you weren’t going to carry me?” Natsu feigned a pout. 

Gray snorted, “Not likely, maybe if you passed out and looked all pathetic again.” 

“You ungrateful bastard,” Natsu tightened his hands into fists in mock anger, “I should have let them turn you into mush.” 

“Natsu,” Gray startled him by using his name, “I know things have been weird between us since you got back, but despite what I might have said at Avatar, I’m still your friend. I know when something is bothering you. And sure, we can sit here and trade insults all day, but wouldn’t you rather tell me what’s wrong?” 

He’d rather not, but he could tell by the way Gray was looking at him and the serious tone of his voice that he refused to be kept in the dark any longer. The combination was enough for Natsu to cave. He didn’t like keeping secrets from Gray, and if he was honest with himself, he did want to talk about what happened, despite dreading the reaction he was sure to get. 

“Wendy needs to be the one who heals me,” he explained, quickly adding, “and I'm not just saying that because I don’t want to see the old hag. After what happened yesterday, well…let’s just say it will help give her closure.” 

“Closure?” Gray puzzled, “What are you talking about?” 

“If I tell you this, you have to promise not to freak out, or go crying to Erza,” Natsu insisted. 

“Yeah yeah, do you need me to do the needle in my eye thing?” Gray rolled his eyes at him, “We’re not kids anymore. I can keep a secret.” 

Natsu closed his eyes, preparing himself mentally to go back to that plaza. When he opened them, he could see Gray studying him closely. Feeling his cheeks heating up, he quickly looked away. 

“We did a job at Worth Woodsea yesterday, and when we were done training, we stopped to pick some rare mushrooms. Sting had liked them and wanted to take some back to Sabertooth for Minerva.”  


“Wendy asked to stop by the Cait Shelter guild building to pay her respects, and we agreed. Everything was quiet, and we just hung around waiting for her, but then a giant monster pack appeared out of nowhere. 

“We fought them off easily enough at first, even though we were already tired from training but more and more kept coming. We think it was the mushrooms that attracted them. Anyway, we’d soon run out of potions to help keep us going.” Natsu tried to swallow back the lump that was forming in his throat as the images flashed through his mind once again. “Sting was hit bad, and uhm...well, Rogue died.” 

“HE _WHAT_?!”  
  
Gray’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, his skin paling from shock. 

“He’s at the hospital now, he's going to be okay,” Natsu assured him, “but it was close.” 

“He’s going to be okay?!” Gray challenged, “How the hell do you go from dead to okay?” 

“Do you remember that book Porlyusica gave Wendy before the Games?” 

“Sure, it had spells her dragon left for her, right?” 

“Yeah, well, this was one of them. Wendy had learned it, but she’d never used it before. She was determined to give it a try if it could save Rogue, but she was terrified.” 

“She’d been fighting alongside us and providing support all afternoon, and that spell- it used up all of her remaining magic,” Natsu turned away, not wanting to see Gray’s disapproval. They were protective of all their teammates, but none more so than Wendy, who was still young. 

“She managed to save him, but the monsters wouldn’t let up, and we got pretty beat up in the process. She couldn’t heal us, and you know how she is,” Natsu lifted his shoulder in a half-shrug, “If anyone else does it, it will reinforce what she feels is her failure.” 

Natsu attempted what he thought was a reassuring smile, “It’s not so bad. If she could go through all that, I can certainly bear this for a bit longer.” 

“You’re full of it, but I get what you’re saying.” 

Gray remained silent for a few minutes, eyes blinking slowly until he suddenly peered at Natsu, his brows furrowed in thought, “Wait a minute, how exactly does a pack of monsters manage to get the drop on five dragon slayers?” 

  
Natsu gazed up through the tree branches, trying to catch a glimpse of the sky as he worked himself through what had happened, putting together the situations that individually wouldn’t have been such a huge deal, but together proved to be lethal. 

“It was the rain,” he muttered, “it dampened our sense of smell, and it screwed with my magic. Probably made their movements quieter too.” 

“What are you talking about?” Gray frowned. “It didn’t rain yesterday.” 

“It did in Worth Woodsea,” Natsu countered, “started right as we got to Cait Shelter.” 

Gray’s expression once again became thoughtful as he considered Natsu’s words, his hands suddenly balling into fists for no reason Natsu could see. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Gray roared, “I thought we were done with that nonsense!” 

“What are you going on about?” Natsu wondered, unable to make any sense of Gray’s outburst. 

“Don’t worry about it, it’s not important,” Gray dismissed his question, but Natsu could tell he was still angry. 

Gray drew in a long breath, looking away for a moment before focusing his attention back to Natsu. 

“I get that whatever happened yesterday was some kind of a freak occurrence,” he remarked, “but it’s not the first time you’ve come back all beat up from one of these things.” 

“Look, I know you want to get stronger, I do too,” Gray’s eyes bored into Natsu with a concern that shook him, “ but the fact is, I don’t trust these guys to have your back.” 

Natsu was about to argue the point when Gray followed up with something he hadn’t been expecting. 

“That’s something you and I have always done, even back when we were fighting all the time,” Gray reminded him, his mouth twitching into a crooked smile. 

And as much as it was in his nature to disagree with most things that came out of Gray’s mouth, Natsu had to admit this time he was right. Even though they bickered and fought often, there had never been a job or brawl where Natsu hadn’t been watching the stripper’s back, and he’d always taken it for granted that Gray did the same. 

Regardless, Natsu didn’t think it was fair for Gray to compare their dynamic to the one he shared with the other slayers. The two of them had been training together for years, moving like a well-oiled machine and fighting together flawlessly. In comparison, he’d only known the other slayers for a short time. They were still learning how to work together as a team. 

“Gray-” 

“Do you remember when we fought at Avatar, and you told me you’d been waiting for me?” Gray interrupted his objection, not saying anything else until Natsu nodded in acknowledgment. 

“Well, I couldn’t say it at the time, but I’d been waiting for you too. That whole year you were gone,” Gray confessed, “So much had happened, and I couldn’t really talk about it with anyone else.” 

Natsu scanned the field they were sitting in, too nervous to meet Gray's eyes when he continued. 

“You’ve always understood me better than anyone, and I had hoped that when you got back well... nevermind that now. The point is there’s no one I trust more. And I know there’s been a few times when I went too far or pushed too hard, but that’s because you’re important to me.” 

Natsu's heart was racing. Was Gray going to say what he thought he was going to say? He'd been ready to make the first move himself, gathering up his courage and his thoughts, and trying to form them into sentences that hopefully wouldn't sound completely ridiculous, but now it seemed like Gray was going to beat him to it. 

Natsu forced himself to look at Gray, feeling the weight of his gaze, but not able to hold it for long, too flustered by the earnestness that had replaced his friend’s usual scowl. He considered Wendy's advice once again as he looked at the flowers growing around them. 

“We make a great team, and that’s why I want to ask you something important.” 

For the first time since he’d started talking, Gray sounded unsure, and Natsu looked up to see his friend had curled his fingers around his sword pendant, fidgeting with it as he worked himself up to ask his question. 

It only served to feed Natsu’s anticipation and excitement. He looked for the prettiest flower he could find and picked it, determined to give it to Gray as a token of his love. He couldn’t believe this was finally happening! 

“Would you be my partner for the S-class exam?” 

“Yes, I’d love to!” Natsu answered excitedly, the hand that was holding the flower thrusting out like a piston before Gray’s words had even had a chance to sink in. 

“Wait, what did you just ask me?” 

  
Natsu felt the blood rush to his face, and the temperature around him rise as his magic responded to his emotions. He was humiliated, but that was nothing compared to the disappointment he felt at having reached the wrong conclusion. 

He should never have listened to the other slayers. Their well-meaning optimism had made him believe that Gray would ask him out or, at the very least, admit to some sort of feelings for him. What a joke that turned out to be. 

Natsu realized with growing horror that his arm was still outstretched, offering that stupid flower, which of course, his magic had now set on fire, the tiny flames working away at the once perfect petals. 

What had been a beautiful offering now looked utterly wretched, but there was nothing he could do about it. It was his fire. So he hid his face in his scarf as best he could, looking straight ahead and desperately hoping that if he ignored it, Gray would somehow not notice. 

“I asked if you wanted to be my partner for the S-Class exam,” Gray repeated, taking in the spectacle that was Natsu with barely a raised eyebrow. “Since we don’t have to compete against each other this time around. I thought we could do it together.” 

Gray calmly coated the flower in his ice, putting out the flames and dousing the rest of Natsu’s hopes along with it. 

Natsu did his best to act enthused, “Yeah! If we teamed up, there’s no way we could fail!” 

He thought he’d done a good job until he noticed Gray studying him intently. 

“What did you think I was going to ask?” 

“Nothing!” Natsu answered a little too quickly, leaving Gray to frown at him in disbelief. However, in a remarkable turn of events, the stubborn stripper seemed content not to question him any further.  
  
“Speaking of teaming up,” Gray changed the subject, “I want in on the slayers’ team. If you thought you could just run off and get stronger without me, you were seriously mistaken.” 

“I’d have to bring it up to the others,” Natsu answered honestly, not having any idea how the other slayers would react to having Gray be a part of what they were doing.  
  
“It’s not up for discussion,” Gray replied, his jaw set in an arrogant scowl that Natsu was all too familiar with, “It shouldn’t be a problem. In case you’ve already forgotten, I’m a slayer too.” 

He gestured towards Natsu’s ribs, “That wouldn’t have happened if I’d been there. Besides, lately, you’re with them all the time. At least this way, we can still get some training in. Not to mention, someone needs to watch out for Wendy.” 

Natsu sighed in defeat, wondering how a love confession had turned into this. He watched as Gray got up and began to pick some flowers to fulfill their request and decided to do the same. 

“Don’t bother,” Gray called out, much to Natsu’s relief as the little movement he’d managed had been incredibly painful. 

That was until the ice mage snickered, “I wouldn’t want to risk another flower upsetting you.” 

“That was an accident!” Natsu whined, growing ever more irritated as Gray only laughed harder at his protests. 

“It was hilarious,” Gray snorted, his laughs finally ebbing into fond chuckles, “I really did miss you, Flame Brain, it just wasn’t the same without you.” 

“I, uh, missed you too,” Natsu replied honestly, watching Gray collect the flowers for Ichiya as he lay back down on the grass to rest for the long walk home.  
  
0-0 

  
Gray wasn’t at all surprised to find he’d been right. Natsu had put too much stress on his healing injuries during the fight, making them even worse. It was easy to tell by the way his breathing turned more shallow with every step he took, and the sweat he’d worked up just from walking. It didn’t take long before Gray decided he couldn’t stand to watch the stubborn idiot suffer any longer, and despite Natsu’s loud protests, he’d picked him up and kept walking. 

Natsu fell asleep soon after, leaving Gray to consider everything he’d seen and heard- Natsu going into Dragon Force against the golems, Rogue’s “death”, Wendy’s spell- but he soon decided these were all things he could tackle at a later time. 

For right now, he just wanted to savor the feeling of Natsu’s warm body pressed against his back, the weight of the arms draped over his shoulders, the strength of the legs wrapped around his sides, and the sound of ragged breaths in his ear. All of which helped to reassure him that Natsu was alive, injured but ready to fight another day. 

His features worked themselves into a scowl as his mind drifted back to Natsu’s insistence that the rain had weakened the slayers’ senses and hindered their efforts. All the rage he’d tried to contain resurfaced, and he could feel the inky tendrils of his devil slayer magic trying to grab purchase, just as they had earlier. His flaring emotions making it harder for him to control this new magic his father had bequeathed him. 

Natsu’s fire magic was powerful. There was no way a little rain would give him any trouble, which meant it must have been a storm. One that somehow managed to miss Magnolia completely despite its proximity to Worth Woodsea. Only one person he knew of was capable of such localized weather, especially when she let her emotions take control. 

His eyes narrowed as he remembered the flyer he’d been holding when Juvia had approached him the previous morning. It had been a monster request in the Great Plains, an area located closer to Worth Woodsea than Magnolia. And Gray was very familiar with Juvia’s tendency to follow him on jobs. 

It wasn’t hard to put two and two together. Juvia had probably gone to the Great Plains looking for him, determined to get him to agree to be her partner for the S-Class exam, or talk about his outburst that morning. Either way, the result had been the same. She must have overreacted when she couldn’t find him and set off a storm around the Great Plains and Worth Woodsea. And while Gray knew that she would never purposefully put their friends in danger, it did nothing to change what had almost happened. 

He would just have to make Juvia understand his feelings once and for all. He’d meant to talk to her ever since they’d returned to Magnolia but kept putting it off, knowing it would be uncomfortable and would only lead to conversations he’d rather avoid. That had been a mistake, one that had nearly cost him his friends. 

He spent the rest of the walk coming up with what he would say to her, trying to determine the best approach, even though he knew all would be received poorly. By the time they arrived at Natsu’s cottage, Gray’s back was screaming in agony, and he was grateful for the distraction. Finding the door unlocked, he managed to get them inside without incident. 

Happy was nowhere to be found, and Gray figured the Exceed must’ve gotten bored and headed for the guild. As Natsu was still fast asleep, he carried him into the bedroom, carefully lowering him onto the bed, thinking that he should get as much rest as he could before seeing Wendy. He’d take care of delivering the flowers and reporting back to Erza himself.  
  
Not knowing what else to do, Gray got ready to leave, and that’s when Natsu grinned, his eyes still closed, “I knew you were going to carry me, Ice Princess.”  
  
“Pfft! Well, that’s because you _did_ look pathetic,” Gray retorted with a smile, amused to learn that the protests he’d received were all faked.  
  
He thought back to how excited Natsu had been right before he’d asked him to be his partner for the exam and wondered if maybe, just maybe, Natsu offering him that flower was supposed to have been a confession of some sort. 

But that didn’t make any sense. He wouldn’t have burned it to a crisp and almost set off a forest fire if it was, right? No, Gray was sure it was just wishful thinking on his part.  
  
Still… Natsu _had_ gone into Dragon Force to protect him from those golems, that had to mean something. Didn’t it?  
  
He quietly molded his ice into a perfect replica of the flower, creating a vase to put it in and placing both on the bedside table. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever be brave enough to express his feelings with words. But maybe, if he let his magic speak for him, he could get his feelings across just as well. Gray quickly let himself out of the house, knowing he might chicken out if he stayed any longer. 

He wondered what Natsu would think of his flower once he woke up and hoped he’d understand what it meant. You never knew with the Flame Brain. 

But even if he didn’t, Gray was heartened by the knowledge that they’d be spending a lot more time together soon. And with that single thought in his mind, he headed off to the guild, in a great mood for the first time in weeks. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While this is the end of this particular story, it is not the end of their story in this world. We are currently working on a story for Sting and Rogue where it goes into more detail into what happened in Worth Woodsea and how it affects them, so if you like this world keep an eye out for that one, as well as other stories that are currently in the planning stages. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and letting us know you liked it! We have been running really behind on answering comments but we promise we will get to all of them as soon as we get some breathing room.
> 
> Maria and Burrito

**Author's Note:**

> 1This quote refers to a moment in the Juvia Character Story Isosceles or Love Triangle. It is game canon.  
> [return to text]  
> 
> 
> 2Kanna's Bar Counter is another game mechanism. Players can buy drinks to temporarily boost their stats.[return to text]  
> This story is already completed. We will post a chapter daily. We'd love to hear what you think!


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